History for coochiee

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for the AWs (when they qualify), given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a some sort of AWs prep for the anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together as a unit at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still there is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

Really I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. A couple of training sessions at best. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for the AWs (when they qualify), given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a some sort of AWs prep for the anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together as a unit at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still there is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

Really I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for the AWs (when they qualify), given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a some sort of AWs prep for the anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together as a unit at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still there is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for the AWs (when they qualify), given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a some sort of AWs prep for the anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together as a unit at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still that is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for the AWs (when they qualify), given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a some sort of AWs prep for the anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still that is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.

The one excuse NZF/Hay have to make a coaching change for the Olympics, is that next year there is no Confeds Cup. Always a useful comp for AWs, given they so seldom get to play top drawer teams.

I presume Hay will now be looking to use the Olympics, as a semi replacement as prep for anticipated March 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs (providing yes AWs finish top dog in OFC).  That's based on his Nov 2019 AWs squad having a large number of players eligible for the Olympics (9 of the 23?), plus being able to pick 3 over age players. So potentially a good basis of his first choice squad come March 2022, can get quality games together at the Olympics.

This would have been part of the rationale to ditch Buckingham. At least in NZF's eyes.

Still that is no guarantee, all those 9 U23 (effectively U24 now) age grade players will be available for Toyko.  Postponed Olympics are now scheduled for July 23 – August 8 next year. That's very close to the start of the 2021/2022 European season, and typically about mid point of the MLS. The big Euro clubs I understand pay scant regard to the Olympics football tournament. Also the dates are not in a FIFA window?? Will Bayern release Singh?  Ditto Viking FC and Bell?  Cacace is likely to be in Europe by then. And yeah will be mid season stateside.

Could be a whole host of players unavailable. So any thinking of a useful de facto AWs side, going to the Olympics, may just blow up in smoke.

I have no strong view on whether Buckingham is a better coach than Hay, or heaven forbid vice versa. 

Des did a great job with U20s, but he did have a lot of contact time/camps with the core of that group (who at the time were primarily NZ based), going back to U19 qualifying in the Islands, plus visiting the Phoenix and Eastern Suburbs regularly in the leadup to Poland - so touching base constantly with Waine, Singh, Cacace, Stensness, Elliott, McCowatt, Just, Pijnaker, Wilkins etc. Reinforcing how he was looking to play, and their roles in the U20 team etc etc. Only Woud, Stanger and Bell were based overseas back then - of the side that started against Colombia in the round of 16. 

Also from memory they had a few weeks together pre the U20 WC starting, and some warmup games. Lastly the core of the side, were from two clubs (Nix and ES) only, so combinations were well bedded in.

So feel you can't really fairly compare the performance of that side (fantastic as it was), verus what Hay's AWs put out late last year. Against Lithuania they were esp awful, but better in glimpses against Ireland. But they had what, a few days together prior each game. Many of them would have been complete strangers to each other. Came from all parts of the world, with a new coach, and the top players had't worn an AWs strip since Peru in 2017 - 2 years prior. Comparing those games to U20s is a definitely a green apple and red tomato scenario.

So at this juncture as yet it's very early days on Hay.

However there are things about Danny, going way back that just make him a trifle unlikeable. And the sniff that he's done some dirty deeds here to get rid of Des, doesn't help at all. Hay has a big PR problem, and NZF have fudgeed up again by waiting 5 extra weeks post news of Olympic postponement, to reveal Buckingham has been dropped.

On the other hand Des seems a hell of a nice guy. The stories of him spending his own money to scout player overseas. The one that he cancelled short his trip back home to the UK, to hurriedly return to NZ to coach the U23s once Schmid left. The fact that 10 odd players who weren't selected for the U20 WC in Poland (so presumably were massively disappointed/down), still came in to provide opposed training sessions prior to the team leaving for Europe. The fact that it appears he was possibly willing to work for free in the leadup to Tokyo. These stories can only make you admire the man. He appears to have mana, in buckets. 

If Hay wanted to badly go to the Olympics. He should have gone as an observer/assistant coach.

Des deserved a shark load better. Shame on you NZF.